Blue-printing machine.



F. F. METZGER.

. BLUE PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1914.

1,234,554. Patented July 24, 1917.

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ATTORNEY.

F. F. METZGER.

BLUE PRINTING MACHIREK APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, I914.

Patented July 24, 1917.

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F..F. METZGER.

BLUE PRINTING MACHINE,

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1914.

1,234,554. Patented July 24, 1917.

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F. F. METZGER.

BLUE PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19. 1914. 1,234,554. Patented July 24,1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND F. METZGER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BLUE-PRINTING MACHINE.

Application filed November '19, 1914.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND F. MnTz- GER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blue-Printing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for printing from a transparent or translucent original upon a sensitized sheet by the aid of artificial light and more particularly to improvements in that class of printing machines which employ a curved glass plate and an endless belt between which plate and belt the original and sensitized material is placed and fed continuously by the movement and frictional An electric lamp or lamps are employed to furnish light for the necessary changes in the sensitized paper. Commercially my machine belongs to the class known as continuous blue printing machines.

The objects of my present invention are two fold First to furnish an improved means for securing the free end of the frame carrying the glass plate so that it may instantly be locked in or unlocked from operative position by the operator while in his usual place before the machine. Second to furnish an improved means for adjusting the actuating belt which holds the objects to be printed against the glass. This adjusting of the endless actuating belt consists, first, in an adjustment for tension, second in an adjustment for taking up and compensating for inequalities in length of opposite sides of the belt, and third in a means whereby the pressure of the belt against the glass plate may be relieved in order thatthe tracing and sensitized paper' passing through the machine may be straightened or alined with the sides of the glass plate, when necessary without arresting the travel of the belt or changing its normal tension.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1, is a front elevation of a con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1917.

Serial No. 872,928.

tinuous printing machine embodying my improvements Fig. :2, a side elevation, partly in section, of Flg. 1:

Fig. 3, a front elevation of a device for locking the upper end of the frame carrying the curved glass to main frame of machine:

Fig. 4, a side elevation of a modification of the device shown in Fig. 3:

Fig. 5, a front elevation of Fig. 4:

Fig. 6, a side elevation, upon an enlarged scale, of a combination of levers fitted to each side of the machine for adjusting the driving belt:

Fig. 7, a front elevation of the lower lever shown in Fig. 6:

Fig. 8, a side elevation of a modified form of machine showing the driving belt carried by two rollers and a means for adjusting the lower roller:

Fig. 9, a view similar to Fig. 2, the working portion of the glass plate being indicated by a broken line, the belt being carried by two rollers the lower of which is furnished with another form of means for adjusting it so that the tension on the belt may be instantly slackened:

Fig. 10, a detached view of the lower roller carrying means illustrated in Fig. 9, the roller being moved so as to slacken the belt:

Fig. 11 represents a front elevation of fragments of the machine showing another embodiment of the locking device.

1 is the frame of a printing machine. 2 the glass plate, 3 the belt between which and the plate the objects to be printed are placed. l5 are the rollers which carry the endless belt 3. 6 is the main driving pulley of the machine, driven from any convenient source of power, which drives in any suit able manner, by a chain belt 7 for instance, one of the rollers carrying the belt 3.

The glass plate 2 is carried by a frame 9 which is, as usual, hinged at 10 to the main frame of the machine. All of the above parts of the machine are well known and will therefore not require detailed description at this time. In Fig. 2 the machine is shown in position for operation and this figure shows the complete machine excepting the electric lamps which form no part of this invention and which have for the sake of clearness been omitted.

The sensitized paper is placed sensitized side up on the table 11, the photograph, tracing or other article to be copied is placed on top of this paper and they are together fed in between belt 3 and glass plate 2; the direction of movement of the belt is shown by the arrows. a a

For the purpose of cleaning that side of the glass plate that faces the belt 3, or for other purposes, it is necessary more or less frequently to swing it and its carrying frame from the substantially vertical position shown by full lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown by dotted lines in this figure. 'As it isnecess'ary that. the belt 3 bear with considerable force against the glass plate 2 it is essential that some means be employed for rigidly locking the upper end of the frame 9, carrying ,the glass plate, to the main frame .of the machine. H Heretofore this has usually been accomplished by means of bolts and nuts but as it takes quite some timetooperate these. to release or secure the frame 9 such means for fastening are objectionable. I V

InFigs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 I show an improved form ,of locking device, which when the frame 9 isfully lifted, automatically locks and which' isas quickly unlocked when the frame and glass are to be lowered. In this locking device both sides of the mainframe 1 carry latches 15 which are pivotally secured to the framel at16. These latches,

' preferably, operate by gravity, their down:

ward movement being limited by any suitableform ofstop as 17. a I

When the frame 9 is lifted it engages and lifts the free ends of latches 15 which, as soon as theframe is moved to its final raised position, which is determined by. adjustable stops 18,'Fig. 2, fall and lock it in place as own in F s 2 M 1 To lift the latches 15 to release the frame 9, I make use of a rod19 which is furnished with a latch-handle 20 by means of which it may. be rocked in its bearings 21. 22 are secured to rod 19 .the outer ends of which are adapted to support the lower ends of'push rods 23 which are guided at 2 1.

When the operator desires to lower the glass'2 and frame 9, he simply grasps the latch-handle 20 in one hand and pulls it down. This rocks rod 19 and lifts push rods 23 which'lift the latches 15 clear of. frame 9 permitting thisv frame to be turned .upon its lower pivots 10. r In Fig.13 a modified form of locking device is shown.. In this case the handle 20 is 2 carried by a bracket 25 carried by .frame 9 slidingly carried in guides 28 carried by frame 9. The outer ends of rods 27 engage the lower ends of latches 15 which are pivotally carried by frame 9 and the upper ends of which are provided with detents 152 adapted to lock with suitable notches 29 on frame 1. Springs 8hold the latches 15 normally in engagement with notches 29.

By rocking the latch-handle 20 the cams 26 engage and push out rods 27 which move the latches 15 so as to disengage them from the notches 29. The operation of this modified device is substantially the same as that already described. c

There are two adjustments that have to be made to the belt 3 more or less frequently, 7 one is to regulate its pressure against the curved'glass plate 2, the other for its aline;

ment as it is found in practice that, for one cause or, another, opposite sides of the belt may be or become of unequal length and it is necessary for satisfactory work that this inequality be compensated. V

In addition to these adjustments it is often desirable, particularly when vlong tr acings are being run through the machine, to m0- mentarily relieve the pressureof the driving beltagainst the glass plate in order .thatthe tracing and sensitized paper may be straightened in reference tothe glass plate. It is practically impossible to furnish a belt so. true that it will at all times driveia long tracing and sensitized paper truly past glass. The inequalities in the belt are such thatpresently the paper tends to. work off to one side or the other of the glass and to obtain a perfect print it has fromfti ne to I time to be straightened.

In Figs. 1 and 2the belt 3 is supported on three rollers 4L, 5 and 30, in Fig. 8 but two rollers 45 are employed.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, ;31 is a shaft passing across and "carried by the side. frames of the machine. ,32 are double armed levers at or near theends of shaft 31 the, upper ends of which carry the shaft 33 of roller 30. 34- are levers the lower ends of which are pivotally carried at 35fand the upper ends of which carry set screws 36'. 115

which engage the lower ends of lever "arms 32. By turning the set screws 36' either end of the'roller 3Q may be'moved inior out as) may be necessary toadjust the belt 3 for inequalities in length at its ends. This adjustment would have to be but infrequently made but is sometimes necessary. The upper ends of the levers 34 carry pivotally nuts 37 3 through which pass the threaded ends of rods 38 which are held in suitable bearings 39 on frame 1. At their inner ends the rods 38 Qcarry, bevel gearsVlO which'mesh with bevel gears 41 attached to a 'shaft'42 which" v passes from side to side of the machine and is carried in bearings in the main frame'1. The extension of the shaft 38 18 provided with the crank 45 and by turning this crank the shaft can be revolved in either direction to cause the bevel gears 40-31 to revolve the shaft 12. By this means the shafts 38 upon the opposite sides of the machine are simultaneously and evenly rotated and their threaded portions turning in the nuts 37 will move the upper ends of levers 3% out or in according to the direction of their rotation. If the upper ends of the levers 34 be moved out the pressure of the roller 30 against the belt 3 will be lessened. If they be moved in the roller 30 will be moved out and the belt 3 will be tightened. This adjustment for tension has to be made frequently as atmospheric conditions tend to alter the length of the belt from time to time, and the varying thickness of the sensitive paper and the tracing cloth or other material carrying the drawing to be reproduced is also a factor that has to be taken into account.

It will be observed that this adjustment for tension can be made by the operator instantly and entirely from the front of the machine.

Fig. 8 shows amachine the belt 3 of which is guided over the rollers l5 only. In this case the roller 5 is carried in the upper ends of levers 32 which are pivoted to fixed points 31. Levers 3 1 are pivoted at 35 and are perforated and threaded for the threaded ends of the shafts 38. By turning the shaft 38 the upper end of the lever-3d is moved in or out. If it be moved in the screw 36 will push the upper free end of lever 32 in to tighten the belt. If it be moved out the strain on the belt will be relieved when the sheets of paper between the belt and glass may be readily moved from side to side to straighten them in relation to the sides of the plate. This would hardly ever be necessary with short prints but with long ones the belt presently causes them to move from one side to the other of the plate making such an adjustment necessary. In this figure adjustment for alinement of the belt may be made by screws 36 as described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 9 and 10 the levers 32 of which there is one upon each side of the machine, carry pivotally at their upper ends one end of the short levers 50 to the other ends of which are pivotally secured at 52, one end of levers 51 the other ends of which carry bearings for the shaft of the belt roller 5 Pivotally secured to levers 51 is the upper end of a link 53 the lower end of which is pivotally secured to the pivot 31 which carries the lower end of lever 32. Pivoted to pivot 52 is a rod or link 56 by elevating which the links 5051 are brought in line to move out roller 5 to tighten belt 3, as shown in Fig. 9, and by depressing which these levers are moved, as shown in Fig. 10, to move roller 5 in to slacken the belt. The rod 56 is guided in bearings 57 and is conveniently operated through a lever 51, pivoted at 59 and is normally held in elevated position by a spring 58 arranged in any convenient manner.

is an adjustable stop carried by one of the levers 50-51, and engaging a fixed stop in the other lever, through which the movement of these levers at their pivoted connecting point 52 may be adjusted.

If a long tracing be traveling through the machine and works to one side or the other of the glass plate 2 the operator places his foot on the outer end of lever 58 and thereby operates the knuckle-jointed levers 50 and 51 to release the pressure of the belt 3 against the glass plate 2.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a main frame, a swinging glass-carrying frame, a latch operating handle, two or more latches adapted to lock the free end of said swinging frame in operative position to said main frame, and push rods corresponding in number to said latches, one end of each said rod being adapted to engage a latch, and their other ends being operatively connected with said latch operating handle.

2. In a machine of the character set forth, in combination, pivotally carried arms 3%, means for simultaneously and equally swinging said arms, nuts pivotally carried by said arms, threaded rods engaged by said nuts, and provided with beveled gears, means for rotating said rods, bevel gears at right angles to and meshing with said bevel gears on said rods, a shaft at right angles to said threaded rods carrying said bevel gears so as to cause the simultaneous and equal rotation of both of said screw threaded rods when one of them is rotated.

3. In a machine of the character described, in combination, belt carrying rollers, jointed levers for carrying one of said rollers, and means whereby said joints may be flexed to relieve the tension upon said belt.

4. The combination of a belt and belt carrying rollers, a substantially vertical lever pivotally supported at its lower end, and a member comprising two short levers pivot ally connected one to the other normally in a substantially straight line, one of said levers being pivotally connected to the upper end of said vertical lever, and the outer end of the other carrying one of the belt rollers, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to a mediate point of said roller carrying lever and the lower end of which is pivoted on the pivot carrying the lower end of said vertical lever and means whereby the jointed connection of said short levers may be flexed to relieve the tension of said belt.

5. The combination with a belt and belt carrying rollers of a substantially vertical lever pivotally supported at its lower end, and a member comprising tWo short levers pivotally connected one to the other and placed normally in a substantially straight line, one of said levers being pivotally connected to the upper end of said vertical lever and the outer end of the other carrying a roller, a link pivotally connected to a ine diate point of said roller-carrying lever the lower end of said link being pivoted on the pivot of the lower end of said vertical lever,

rods adapted to simultaneously engage either of the levers of the roller carrying members near the pivotal connection to the other lever of said members, a lever adapted to operate said rods to bend said roller carrying members at their interior joints, and springs for normally maintaining said roller carrying members in a substantially straight position.

FERDINAND F. METZGER. WVitnesses:

CHARLES A. BUTTER, WILLIAM M. TYL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, D. 0.? 

